8/13/2019 14 Year Jail Term in Germany's First Rwandan Genocide Trial

1/3

14 year jail term in Germany's first Rwandan

genocide trialA court in Frankfurt has sent a former Rwandan mayor to prison for 14 years. He had been

accused of organizing one of the massacres in the 1994 genocide.

AuthorHilke Fischer / mc-17.02.2014

In the bare Frankfurt courtroom, the horrifyin e!ents ofA"ril 11, 1##4 $ere bein recalle%. &itnesses tol% ho$ they ha% souht safety from theHutu militia by fleein to a church in 'i(iuro.)hey tol% ho$ the militia ha% attacke% the church killin as many as 1,200 "eo"le, ho$the sur!i!ors $ere force% to thro$ the %ea% into a $ell, an% then to *um" to their%eaths after them.

http://www.dw.de/14-year-jail-term-in-germanys-first-rwandan-genocide-trial/a-17438793http://www.dw.de/14-year-jail-term-in-germanys-first-rwandan-genocide-trial/a-17438793https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/2998971445/548e36f3d3c4100339d34f8445997fb3_normal.jpeghttp://www.dw.de/14-year-jail-term-in-germanys-first-rwandan-genocide-trial/a-17438793http://www.dw.de/14-year-jail-term-in-germanys-first-rwandan-genocide-trial/a-17438793

8/13/2019 14 Year Jail Term in Germany's First Rwandan Genocide Trial

2/3

)his $as an historic trial that came to an en% in Frankfurt on )ues%ay +1.02.201.nes"hore $abukombe $as foun% uilty of bein an accessory to enoci%e an% sentto "rison for 14 years.)he former mayor of 'i(iuro ha% been accuse% of orani(in,or%erin an% monitorin that church massacre.It $as the first time that a erman court ha% han%e% %o$n *u%ment in a casein!ol!in the $an%an enoci%e of the )utsi minority. In 1##4, $an%an Hutuetremists slauhtere% three 3uarters of all )utsis an% many mo%erate Hutus $ithin100 %ays.n%er the leal "rinci"le of uni!ersal *uris%iction, enoci%e can be "unishe% any$herein the $orl%, not only in the country in $hich it $as committe%. $abukombe hasli!e% in ermany since 2002 an% has been in custo%y here since 2010.5rosecutors calle% for life sentence5rosecutors ha% calle% for a life sentence. 6ieter asam, a la$yer re"resentin the!ictims, sai% $itnesses ha!e confirme% that the accuse% $as at the scene of themassacre. 8He took "art an% %ro!e "eo"le $ith his official car to the church roun%s.8

)hey then $ent on the attack $ith aes an% machetes.)he court ha% $itnesses flo$n toermany. thers, $ho $ere im"risone%in $an%a, %eli!ere% their testimony !ia!i%eo link to the Frankfurt court room.9atalie !on &istinhausen is one of$abukombe:s la$yers. 8&e belie!e thatthese testimonies $ere all inten%e% to castuilt on the accuse%, because as mayor he$as the only official in authority aroun% at

the time,8 she sai%. &istinhausen an%fello$ %efense la$yer 'ersten &o$eries ha% calle% for their client to be ac3uitte%.$an%an s"ecialist er% Hankel $as in court as an e"ert $itness. He has also taken"art in se!eral trials in $an%a itself. 8&i%ely hel% assum"tions fre3uently "re!ail,8 hesai%. In other $or%s, e!erybo%y $ho $as a member of the "olitical elite at the time ofthe enoci%e $as acti!ely in!ol!e% in orchestratin it.&as ermany the riht "lace for this trial;)he court $as force% to eamine $hether the $an%an o!ernment coul% ha!e trie% toinfluence $itness testimony. )he "resi%ent of $an%a, 5aul 'aame, is himself a)utsi. His rebel forces brouht the enoci%e to an en% in

8/13/2019 14 Year Jail Term in Germany's First Rwandan Genocide Trial

3/3

8ur system is sim"ly not suite% to clearin u" $hat really ha""ene%, e!en thouhe!erybo%y "ut in a lot of effort,8 sai% !on &istinhausen. >he referre% in thisconnection to the $ork %one by others - in "articular by the International ?riminal)ribunal for $an%a in Arusha, )an(ania. asam, $ho re"resente% the !ictims,$oul% also ha!e "referre% to ha!e seen the former mayor trie% by a $an%a court.@"ert $itness er% Hankel is more o"timistic an% e!i%ently has more confi%ence inthe erman leal system. ut he belie!es the court shoul% ha!e a %is"laye% a moreintense interest in $an%a from the !ery beinnin. 8)he *u%es shoul% ha!e !isite%the country, looke% at the scene of the crime an% s"oken to $an%ans,8 he sai%.>us"ecte% Hutu etremists an% their su""orters are also on trial in t$o other cases inermany, in 6ussel%orf an% >tuttart.